For Liberty… was my first attempt at a thriller concept. It is not the traditional one character caught up in a closing web of intrigue story. instead For Liberty… is 4 stories weaving together to show how interconnected human lives are. It raises the idea that your freedom, wellbeing, and very life may rest on the actions of someone on the other side of the world that you have never even met.
I thought the story was ready to publish, but recently I had the opportunity to spend some time on one of our Navy’s finest Destroyers. One of the stories in For Liberty… takes place on a U.S. Navy Destroyer, and being there made it clear to me that I need to rework some of those parts of the story. I want the look and feel of the book to be authentic and honor the people serving in our Navy.
So For Liberty… has a date with a complete edit, and then off for a scrub and polish before she’s off for the query process.
Well 2016 is over.
It was a very strange year for me filled with big changes in my personal life, and a very busy professional life. I love to write, but sadly it does come second to my job that pays the bills.
I took some time away from my projects to pursue a side adventure into writing, but I’m pleased to say I’m back, and I’m moving forward to my journey to publish my work.
My best efforts seem to come when I’m engrossed in the writing project and so far 2017 has been no different. I’m about 75% done with a rough draft of a new story, and I’ll be posting that adventure as it happens.
Thanks for tuning in!
-Kurt
I feel two ways about querying agents/publishers, it’s the ultimate love hate relationship.
I love querying because it means a project has come to fruition and it finally ready to see the light of day. It’s the stage where you get to craft your 100 word hooks and try to spin the story in some a way that pulls the potential partner in.
Or
It’s the soul-sucking worst because you put yourself out there with something you really believe in and:
a: The potential agent/publisher just leaves it hanging in the void.
b: They hate it and they tell you.
c: (My personal favorite) they tell you it’s too much like another product on the market.
I say all of this because at the end of the day it is worth it to query because sometimes they bite, and an agent or publisher believes in a project as much as you do as the author and it’s beautiful. I have two novels ready to see the light of day and despite the rejections and negative things to come I’m going to take that plunge and put them out there.
So as an author I’m supposed to spend all of my free time reading, but I like most Americans really enjoy a good TV show or movie.
I have to give it credit. It kept me watching it with bated interest despite a few major flaws. The bad guys are supposed to be vampires, but they apparently get their transformed “powers” from tiny worms. There is slightly less than no explanation of how the science of the transformation works, but the show does a great job of mixing in enough fear and gore to kind of wash over it.
The casting is alright, not winning any show of the year but there are a few characters with compelling back stories, and the relationship between the main character (CDC doctor) and his son captures the human element and primal desire to protect your young quite well.
My one biggest complaint… the villain.
To me this guy looks like he got a bad nose job, and got all Emo about it. They use special effects to amp up the scare factor, but on a whole I found him a disappointing focus for the villain.
That being said I’m excite to see where they go, and if you’re looking for a little light horror/thrill fare. I quite enjoyed the 1st season. Always like to have something playing in the background when I’m writing, or editing.
So as an aspiring author I would be remiss to slack in my reading. Reading other peoples’ work is one of the ways we get better at constructing our stories, and most importantly it’s important to appreciate other authors’ successes.
I have had the pleasure of watching this First Novel blossom into a worldwide success. Andy Weir’s novel rose from being a blog posted collection of entries, to an Amazon self published e-book to the number one best seller he has now. It is for a really good reason because he writes in a way that draws the reader in and leaves them with bated breath as they turn the page. The story is a simple one Man vs. Nature but the whit and the often cynical way the main character deals with the twists life throws at him make it both relatable and honest. From the profanity in the opening line to the well placed mom jokes Mark Whatney makes for a character I would love to meet and shake his hand.
From Goodreads: Six days ago, astronaut Mark Watney became one of the first people to walk on Mars. Now, he’s sure he’ll be the first person to die there. After a dust storm nearly kills him & forces his crew to evacuate while thinking him dead, Mark finds himself stranded & completely alone with no way to even signal Earth that he’s alive—& even if he could get word out, his supplies would be gone long before a rescue could arrive. Chances are, though, he won’t have time to starve to death. The damaged machinery, unforgiving environment or plain-old “human error” are much more likely to kill him first. But Mark isn’t ready to give up yet. Drawing on his ingenuity, his engineering skills—& a relentless, dogged refusal to quit—he steadfastly confronts one seemingly insurmountable obstacle after the next. Will his resourcefulness be enough to overcome the impossible odds against him?
I have had the pleasure of watching this First Novel blossom into a worldwide success. Andy Weir’s novel rose from being a blog posted collection of entries, to an Amazon self published e-book to the number one best seller he has now. It is for a really good reason because he writes in a way that draws the reader in and leaves them with bated breath as they turn the page. The story is a simple one Man vs. Nature but the whit and the often cynical way the main character deals with the twists life throws at him make it both relatable and honest. From the profanity in the opening line to the well placed mom jokes Mark Whatney makes for a character I would love to meet and shake his hand.
